St. Landry democrat., 1887-01-15
STORIES OF THE JUNGLE.
In Which Natives, Tigers, Snakes,
Etc, Greatly Abound.
An Invalid Witnesses Terrible Fight with
COBRA Night Adventure at Pool
of Rendezvous for Wild Beasts.

When one reads of the great number
OF people who come to their deaths each
year in India from serpents and wild
animals and crocodiles, the figures can
hardly be credited by one who has not
visited that country. India is the par
adise of all that is savage, revengeful,
venemous and sly, beginning with the
thug and ending with the flea. The
climate and topography Of the country
favor the wild beast more than man.
1t is the natural home of every species
OF reptile-o of many species of car
nlvora-of almost every poisonous in
sect which can be named. The offer of
large rewards for the killing of poison
Gus serpents has taken tens of thous-
ands OF dollars from the Golfers of the
Government without decreasing the
number of snake bites by one. The
tiger, leopard, jaguar, panther and
other fierce creatures have been thinned
off by the natural settling of the various
provinces, but one has only to 90 few
miles from the railroad lines to find
them to-day as they were found twenty
years ago. 1t will forever be combat
between man and beast in that country,
with the odds in favor of the beast.
In making my way from Peniab to
Lahore, IN the days before the railroad,
having the company of two American
sportsmen and British officer, I was
bitten on the cheek by some poisonous
insect which dashed at me as we were
riding in the shade. 1t struck me like
a flash, and was off before could raise
my hand. Being new to the country I
supposed it to be some insect common
to the weeds, but it was scarcely three
minutes before [ began to suffer great
pain, and in five / had to dismount.
The natives were agreed that the bite
came from a jungle hornet, and that I
would be a sufferer for some days.
Fortunately for me, we were close is
the outskirts Of a village called Halla-
rad, and when could no longer stand
on my feet, which was about seven
minutes after being bitten, I was car
ried into the village and a native doc
tor set to work on me. I was then |
raving with pain, and my face was
swelled until | could not see. It was
four days before the pain left me, and
ten before | had recovered sufficient
strength to ride. In this interval
occurred the adventure I set out to re-
late
On the fifth or sixth day after my
a hammock was slung for
me out doors under tree, and native
sat at its roots to administer to my
wants. He held the end Of my ham
mock cord in his hand, and once in
while gave it pull and kept me slowly
The village was a scatter
ing one, containing about 200 natives,
and from my elevated position 1 had
pretty good view around me. There
was jungle about forty rods away,
while the ground between was covered
with rank grass and weeds at least
knee high. In front of the hut to the
eft of my tree sat young woman who
vas making some repairs on garment
belonging to her father. On this MORN
ng most of the men in the village had
rome off on hunt, and every thing
vas as quiet as a Sunday morning in I
New England hamlet. i
The balmy air and the motion Of the
hammock would have induced sleep
lad not slept thirteen hours out of the {
preceding twenty-four. / was quiet,
CT T. IL
lour the hammock ceased to move, {
nd I saw that the servant below was {
asst asleep. Almost at the same mo- t
nent caught a flash of something at |
he edge of the jungle, and then I no s
iced movement of the grass was
portsman enough to comprehend that r
ome animal or reptile was moving to- '
1ard me, but had no enthusiasm NOT L